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Friday, December 4, 2009

Hershey's Kisses and the holidays: recipe review and giveaway

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Hershey's

When the chocolate makers at Hershey's were looking for some bloggers to turn their kitchens into test zones and then blog about it, I was a little dubious. But the twinados nearly died of excitement when I asked them about it, so we signed up. We were told to choose three Hershey's Kisses recipes from the official web site and then give them a whirl. Needless to say, the girls and I had radically different criteria when it came to choosing recipes. They were drawn toward the most colorful, most candy-per-inch items, while I leaned strongly toward the things that had the least number of ingredients and steps (anyone who has ever cooked with Ro and Ree will attest to my wisdom).

Ro (pink flower barrette) and Ree (yellow flower barrette) heartily enjoyed unwrapping all the candies (and sneaking as many as they could):

They also sniffed many, many of the chocolates quite deeply. Not sanitary, not sanitary at all, but I'm sure the germs all died in the oven...

The Kisses Candy Twists were fun and tasty—an easypeasy treat for kids of any age to make. We mixed it up with plain chocolate kisses and minty candy-cane ones.

The Hershey's Hugs and Kisses Crescents were really fun to make, and they looked awesome too. But I have to be completely honest and say that none of the adults liked the taste at all. The biscuit dough and chocolate flavor just did not work together, in my opinion. Maybe if it had been a sweeter puff pastry dough or something? Anyhow, they were awfully cute and the girls were mighty proud of them.

And, finally, the Double Chocolate Kisses Cookies were my favorites. They looked and tasted great. (Although the next time I'll add even more cocoa to make the cookies a little richer tasting. Yeah I tend toward excess like that...)

So there you have it, the results of our fun Hershey's Kisses baking. And, in keeping with one of our family holiday traditions, we'll be using the twist and double chocolate cookies in our annual holiday cookie exchange with friends so that we can sample even more deliciousness:

The Giveaway:Hershey's is giving away a $100 Visa gift card to one lucky Salsa reader. To enter, leave me a comment below and tell me your favorite holiday recipe (Ro and Ree lovelovelove to cook and bake, so you'll make them smile extra big if you can give me the directions or a link to the recipe). The contest will begin right now (12/4/09) and will end at midnight on 12/31/09. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct (feel free to use weird spaces and spell out "dot" or "at" or that sort of thing).

The Rules:No duplicate comments. You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments. You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments. This giveaway is open to US-residents only. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail. You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. Please see the official rules here. If you'd like even more entries, check out the BlogHer.com special offers page to see the other reviews (you've got 8 chances to win).

270 comments:

My daughters and I love to make peppermint bark. It is super easy and they love to crush the candy canes and break the bark. You just melt 12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler ( I use two pots) and spread onto wax or parchment paper. I put the paper on a baking sheet. Stick it in freezer for 20 mn. When it cools then melt 12 oz of white choc. and let it cool a few mn. Spread onto top of semi-sweet choc and then sprinkle about 1/2 cup of crushed candy canes on top. Stick back into freezer till stiff and then break away. Super yummy, super easy.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line miniature muffin tins (tassie pans) with miniature paper liners. 2. Crush the vanilla wafers, and place 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed vanilla wafers into each paper cup. 3. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top. 4. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Top with a teaspoonful of cherry pie filling.

That looks like fun! Your recipes were way easier than the ones we did yesterday and today. Definitely not kid friendly but very tasty so I won't leave the recipes here. (10 doz. gingerbread thingys, 10 doz. cardamom-orange sugar cut-outs and 5+ doz. triple ginger cookies! Sheesh)

Oh the pretzel twist looks so easy. I usually love chocolate covered pretzels but hate the mess and time. This seems like the similiar taste but so much easier! Think I might try it with my students too.My favorite treat to make at Christmas is peppermint bark. It is so easy. I just buy the white chocolate to use to dip or cover with. Melt it in microwave as directed. Then pour out on parchment paper and spread with spatula or icing spatulu. Sprinkle on crushed peppermints. You can even use those "melt in your mouth" peppermints crushed up. When dried, break into pieces and package for gifts. OR EAT! YOU!Kim Osweetiee1@gmail.com

3. To prepare brownie batter, weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, 2 egg whites, and 1 egg in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended. Add flour mixture to brown sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until blended.

4. Reserve 1/2 cup of brownie batter. Pour remaining batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Carefully pour cheesecake batter over top; spread evenly to edges. Dot cheesecake batter with reserved brownie batter. Swirl top two layers of batters together using the tip of a knife. Bake at 350° for 26 minutes or until top is set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

We do chocolate covered pretzels a different way using pretzel sticks where we dip them in milk chocolate and dark chocolate and then use bunches of other things to decorate them...drizzle white chocolate, sprinkles of different shapes, etc. That is the easiest thing we make.

My favorite to make with the help of a 4 yr old is kiflis (we do both the nut and lekvar filling - but you can do just about any type of jam/jelly filling too)

A fave in our house is the potato chip cookie. What could be better than sweet and salt together? Here's the basic recipe I use:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/potato-chip-cookies-recipe/index.html

They are a lot like a melt-in-you-mouth butter cookie.

We'll definitely try the crescent recipe here, but I think we'll try lining the inside with a butter wash and cinnamon-sugar sprinkle. If it's a bomb, it's still fun!

My favorite thing to make at the holidays (becuase it is easy and requires NO cooking) is hershey kisses tree.

Buy a styrofoam cone at a local craft store and a holiday bag of hershey kisses. Stick toothpicks in the flat end of the kisses and then stick them into the styrofoam cone. The end result is a colorful tree made of kisses. It's always a hit at the holiday party's and the kids LOVE it!

Our favorite cookie is one I believe you already make-the ones where you put peanut butter cookie dough in in the mini muffin tins and then stuff in a peanut butter cup at the end:) YUMMY!Nicoleniczuge@yahoo.com

Beat margarine with electric mixer. Add sugar and cinnamon beat a few more minutes. Toast bread in toaster and spread lightly with mixture while hot-it doesn't take much. Spread keeps in refrigerator or can be frozen.Freeze in small containers for a great gift.

Perfect timing! My sisters and I are volunteering at a Ronald McDonald House tomorrow so today one of my sisters and I are making cookies so we can pass out plates of cookies to the families staying at the house. I think the double chocolate kiss cookies look delicious!

One of my favorites is the Buried Cherry Cookie, but that's a classic recipe -- in the Betty Crocker cookbook.

My favorites would have to be ALL the homemade candies and fudges my Grandmother would make us every year for Christmas! One year she brought it over a week or so early because she would be out of town, my mom had it on her dresser in a fancy box,,,every day I would sneak into the box and eat just a few! When Christmas came and they opened the box I guess I had ate more than a few...oops! All that chocolate was sooo yummy!

Okay, that pretzel kiss combo looks yummy, and even better... EASY!!My favorite Christmas recipe is caramels. LOVE them so much, they're even worth the effort :)Here's a link to a recipe:http://www.kookrecipes.com/2008/10/24/caramel-candy/If I happen to win (crazy!) my email is chrisnstefanie@gmail.comHappy baking, M3!

We've made the pretzel things before and they are SO easy (and yummy!) This year we'll be making Oreo balls (cream cheese and crushed Oreo's mixed together, formed into balls and then dipped into white chocolate). Again, easy but YUMMY!

Great sounding recipes, we might try all 3! We (of course!) bake cookies at Christmas time, and use the famous, tried-and-true Pillsbury gingerbread dough from the refrigerated section of Sam's Club (five kids and all...). Some years we pull out the puff pastry and make Finnish puff pastry pinwheels with plum jam in the middle. kotiinkolmestakolkasta@gmail.com

My favorite holiday recipe is tough -- it's not a sweet, but I love that once I year I eat the prime rib roast; red meat at it's finest. I don't usually eat that much of it, but OOOOH how I love the roast, and mashed potatoes, and whatever veggie is on the menu.

Oh, your photos of the process are great! I love the "Double Chocolate Kisses cookies" -- they look like the perfect ones to make for my first cookie exchange that I've been invited to participate in. :) I'm sending a couple of cute (and easy for kids) recipes via email.Dawn T.

My new holiday tradition is to make The Pioneer Woman Cinnamon rolls on Christmas eve day and share with my neighbors. You can find the recipe on her site. Surely you know about The Pioneer Woman. Just in case: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

Good job on the cookies guys - they look great! (Awesome job on the pics M3 - you've got a great eye for detail)!

We like to make candy cane cookies at our house - kinda a sugar cookie recipe and you twist the 2 colors of dough together: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/candy-cane-cookies/93832e29-3b4f-4977-ae5a-9820053b254c

You can either use premade sugar cookie dough or make your own and roll it into a log and freeze. Cut out rounds about 1/4" thick. Cut off sides of rounds so that you create triangle and two oval-esque parts. Press oval parts midway on each side of the triangle and roll a small amount of dough and press on top of the triangle. You get an angel shape! Bake according to directions.

Another one I like is to take puff pastry sheets, roll it out a little, cut it into squares or triangles, put some chocolate inside (Hershey Kisses would do just fine, or some other bar chocolate piece). Roll up and bake on parchment paper -result: Easy chocolate croissant. Yum!

Pepperment bark is also another favorite here but many people have already given the recipe so I won't repeat.

like the others, I agree the pretzels look yummy and easy-peasy!We bake about 5 o r 6 different family recipies, but ahve started soem of our traditions as well. The 3 of us really like the covered pecans.Recipe here:( these are SO addictive!!)http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/cinnamon-sugared-pecans-recipe/index.htmlThanks for the chance to win the Visa card! (My wallet is rather thin so I could really use the help for presents!!)Jeannejeannejac at aol dot com

We have always done the pretzels with the hugs and kisses as well, but we put them on the waffle looking pretzels and call them holiday lights because we finish them off with m&m's. All you need to do is place them on the cookie sheet melt them in a warm oven til the tops of the hugs and the kisses look a little melty and then press in the m&m's they turn out so cute and everyone has always commented on them that we have given them to, and they are so simple they take only minutes to make!

Those treats looked yummy....I was a little hesitant when I saw that crescent dough too, glad you're review agreed! I am definitely trying the pretzel twists with my daughter.

My all time favorite holiday recipe is this treat my mother makes. I think they are called Ilini Bars. I have no idea how to make them but they have caramel, chocolate, and butterscotch chips layered throughout a sweet yellow cake that is absolutely to DIE for. i want them now just thinking about them! myelphieatlivedotcom

The pretzel things look like about our level this year. I think Little Bit will have a blast, and wonder if she will eat as many of the kisses as Ro and Ree?! :)

Hubby is a big (BIG BIG) pie lover, so many of our desserts tend to lean that way. A big fav, blueberry pie (http://kiysrecipebox.blogspot.com/2009/03/blueberry-pie.html). But if you are looking for the best, most delicious and different apple pie, try this one: http://kiysrecipebox.blogspot.com/2008/06/grandma-oples-apple-pie.html. It's THE most requested dessert in our house.

However, if you are looking for easy and Twinado helpable (like my new word?) this recipe rocks: http://kiysrecipebox.blogspot.com/2007/11/pumpkin-ring-cake.html. Little Bit made this with me her first Christmas home (at 11 months). Fun, easy and very forgivable.

Combine all ingredients (easier done by hand). Shape into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately or may be frozen for future use. Dip in marinara sauce!

1 1/2 cups peanut butter 1 cup butter, softened 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 cups confectioners' sugar 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips DirectionsIn a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth. Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

After you dip them, just use your finger and gently smooth over the hole left by the toothpick. You can also use this recipe to make mini peanut butter cups; just pour a little chocolate in a mini cupcake liner, put a small disk of the peanut butter mixture in, pour chocolate over, and chill.

Count me in! Thanks for offering another great giveaway and fingers crossed I win ;-)

Funny thing is - for years, I've been making the Kisses Candy twists, but I never had an official name for them. However, for even more added sweetness, what I do is: when the hershey kiss is nearly melted, take a M & M (I use plain, but any type will do!) and press it down in the middle. Waaalaaa! More chocolate!

i love chocolate almond toffee cookies. I'm going to have to look for the recipe though. I'm sure you can find it online. Your girls would love making them though. since you have to roll the cookies in toffee bits etc. fun fun:) and yum yum!

My favorite recipe is Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pops - basically you make a crustless pb cheescake, then cut it into cubes, insert sucker sticks and dip in chocolate and roll in chopped nuts. They're supposed to be served room temperature but I like them straight from the freezer.

Do I have a recipe for you!!! And the girls will love to help make cracker toffee: line a cookie sheet with foil, grease the foil, line with saltine crackers, set aside. Melt 1 cup of real butter, add 1 cup brown sugar bring to a boil & let simmer x 5 minutes. Pour butter and brown sugar mixture over crackers. Place in preheated 350 degree oven for 6 minutes. Remove from oven & pour a 12 oz bag of chocolate chips over the crackers & spread them as they melt. Top with 1/2 bag of Heath bar brickle. Cool to room temp, chill in refrigerator, break into pieces and eat. So yummy!

That looks sooo yummy!!My favorite thing to do it the same thing you guys did with the pretzels and kissis except when they are just a little melted i push an m&m into the top of it and it pushes the kissis down in the middle. They look super cute and very yummy. http://ourlifeinfood.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/hershey-kiss-mm-pretzels-2.jpg

For the holidays I love to bake and give to everyone. I generally include iced sugar cookies( I'll add peppermint for the candy cane striped cookies), fudge, Hersheys peanut butter kisses (I like to microwave the cookies a few seconds to melt the kisses before I eat them) and a new recipe.I'd love to win! lglglg2001@gmail.com

My son and I are definitely going to try the pretzel twists!!! I think he will love them! My favorite holiday treat is Oreo Bon Bons. They are super easy, and I always get lots of requests for the recipe. Ingredients: -1 package of Oreo Cookies-1 pkg. cream cheese -White Chocolate Almond Bark (for coating)-toothpicks

Directions:Finely chop/crush oreo cookies. Mix cream cheese and crushed cookies until well mixed. Form mixture into 1 inch balls, either by hand or using a melon scoop. Put on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Chill in freezer while you melt the almond bark. I melt mine in the microwave, but you can use a double boiler if you have one. Take oreo balls out of freezer and stick a toothpick into each one. Using the toothpick, carefully dip each ball into the melted chocolate until they are pretty well covered. Place back on the cookie sheet and chill in freezer until chocolate is hardened. Then sit back and watch them disappear as they are VERY addictive. Makes approx 40 bon bons :) Happy Holiday cooking!!

My Grandsons ages 2 and 3 and I love to cook. We took a roll of refrigerator sugar cookies and pounded it into a "Gingerbread Man". We too have you same "cooking shirts". Then with icing as glue they added "Hershey" candies for face, buttons, clothes etc. What a joy we have made one so far this year. Looking forward to our next creation!

My favorite holiday dish is a cheeseball. I only make them at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but they're tasty all year round.

2 8 oz blocks of Philly Cream Cheese8 oz grated Extra Sharp Cheddar1 T minced or grated onion2 T lemon juice2 T Worcestershire Sauce (I use Lee & Perrins; it has the best anchovy undertaste)Dash cayenne pepperDash salt (optional)1 bag walnuts (I either get the bigger bag and have some leftover, or two of the small bags and have some left over!)

Allow the cream cheese to soften completely and become room temperature.

Grate the cheddar cheese from the block if possible, the pre-pack shredded is often coated in cornstarch to prevent sticking, and it makes the ball harder to blend.

Blend all of the ingredients except the walnuts in a large bowl. I do this by hand, but it's up to you if you'd like to use a hand mixer. It might make the onions finer.

Form into shape you desire, cover with Saran or Press and Seal and refrigerate until solid (I do it overnight.)

Chop walnuts finely and toast in a pre-heated oven or non-stick skillet. Allow them to cool.

Roll the cheesball in the walnuts, gently pressing until the cheeseball is covered.

Allow to sit at room temp for a while before serving; it makes spreading easier.

Enjoy with the crackers of your choosing, or do like me and just eat it in chunks right from the cheese knife!

Hey! I've been reading your blog for a while now, and I always get a kick out of your posts! I have a little sister from China, who's about Ro and Ree's age, so I can relate!Here's my Christmas recipe (super fun to make, kid friendly, and delicious!): Nutcracker Mice Cookies

You need:Oreo halves (the half with the frosting, so it looks like snow)Milk Chocolate KissesChocolate chipsRed maraschino cherries WITH STEMS (WHOLE, not chopped!)Almond slicesRed and green decorating gel

1. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, then dip the cherries(till they are completely covered, but the stem is still clean) and place each one on an Oreo half.

2. While the chocolate is still gooey, stick the bottom of the kiss on to the front of the cherry, opposite the tail, to form a pointy-nosed face.

3. Stick two almond slices about the same size between the cherry and the kiss/head to make ears.

4. Embelish with decorative holly on the mouse’s snow patch using the red and green gel. Then give the mouse eyes with the gel. (BTW the green eyes look a lot better than the red eyes.... which I think make them look a little too much like rats)Store them in the fridge until ready to serve; then, enjoy!!!Here’s the link to a photo, so you can visualize what they look like: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ho0PghM4_F8/Sxs85JxC2FI/AAAAAAAACEA/5_nB3DF3w80/s1600-h/DSC_4575.jpg

I also love to make thumbprint cookies. I see another poster left the recipe for you. They are great to make with young kids and you can alter the "filling" for the middle of the cookie. Sometimes we use Hershey's chocolates and sometimes I pipe in colored frosting (after the cookies are cooled of course!). Happy Holidays!Mary mgotway@cox.net

Mix all ingreadients with hand until dough is soft. Pat it evenly into a 9-inch round cake pan. Prick dough in mamy places.Bake for 45 minutes. While still warm, cut shortbread into 12 wedges and cool them on wire racks. If desidered, drizzle chocolate on top.

I guess we started last year with the recipe that you gave everyone with the mini muffin cookies with reeses in the middle. We usually use chocolate chip cookies instead of peanut butter and we will put different chocolate candies in them. We made them for Santa last year and we eat them regularly. lv3kitties@aol.com

My new favorite Christmas recipe is for Snowy Cocoa. It's delicious and so easy.In a crock pot, combine 2 cups heavy cream, 6 cups of milk a bag of white chocolate chips and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, put the crock pot on low and let it all melt together- takes about 2-2 1/2 hours. Remeber to stir occassionally and make sure the adults save some for the kids!

I am loving reading the other recipes:)I make the pretzel ones each year but can not wait to try the chocolate ones. They look and sound WONDERFUL:)I always make the PB ones with the Kiss in the middle so this is a variation on that with the icing:)I bought a bag of the peppermint ones last night and they are my favorite..(this time of the year I probally should have left them at the store as I do not need them but....

I have made the pretzel thing with Rolos and a pecan half shoved in the middle after they're melted.

Another fun one is Reindeer Cookies made with Nutter Butters. I found this recipie in "Family Fun" magazine last year. Here is a link where I list the ingredients and have a couple of pics. Note: this was created for my reference so I didn't worry a lot about the quality of the pics.http://www.keithandkarenholt.com/ReindeerCookieRecipe.html

My children love to make the old fashioned sugar cookie cutouts. In fact, we made them this weekend! The amount of time they put into frosting the cookies and artistically adding the sprinkles amazes me. It also makes me think they have a long enough attention span to clean there rooms! HA :)

Along with all the usual Christmas cookies, we love to make Oreo Balls, which are kind of like a refrigerated truffle made with nothing more than a package of crushed Oreos mixed with a softened 8oz bar of cream cheese. I crush the Oreos in a ziplock bag, then dump the whole thing in the Kitchen Aid and mix on low with the cream cheese. Roll with your hands into small 1" balls, refrigerate on a tray, then dip half the ball into the melted chocolate of your choice. I use melted milk chocolate. Yum!

I have another good pretzel recipe. Melt white chocolate, place pretzel rings on a cookie sheet & fill the center of each pretzel with white chocolate. Place a christmas colored m&m in the center. Place in fridge until the white chocolate becomes hard. A nice bite sized treat, for kids & adults!

1 pkg Pistachio pudding1 can pineapple (crushed)1 jar Marischino cherries (halved)1 bowl Cool WhipMix ALL the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. The juice from the pineapple bits mixed with the Pistachio pudding give it the wetness and the cool whip gives it such a Light taste. So easy and SO DELICIOUS! Even if I don't win, please give it a try. you will LOVE it!! xoxo

---Microwave chips till melted (one minute at a time). Remove and add remaining ingredients. Stir and then spread out in a foil lined pan (we sprayed w/ cooking spray). Let set up in the fridge for a half hour. Then, we use small cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes. The girls LOOOVE these! And truth be told, I do too! YUM!

my favorite is to melt the kisses in the micro with a small amount of heavy cream, dip apples on a stick in the melted choc. then dip them in nuts, then choc. again, then melted caramel, then choc. again, letting them cool in between each step, then the very last is drizzling white choc. or darker choc on them, wrap them in cellophane and you have a nice gift!

Our favorite holiday treat is chex mix. This year I actually found the chex mix flavoring already in a packet! Whoo all I had to do was mix together the chex, nuts & pretzels then add the flavor packet to some melted butter. Ooooh, wouldn't tiny Hershey kisses be neat to add (AFTER mixing all the other items)?!

My favorite recipe NOW is cheese apples. They're great as a side with a breakfast casserole or with Christmas (or Thanksgiving) dinner. They are simple to make and OH SO GOOD. I don't have the recipe with me but if you're interested email me at bevwalks@aol.com, put cheese apples in the subject and I'll send the recipe to you. It takes canned sliced apples, flour, sugar and velveeta cheese.

It looks like you guys had lots of fun! My grandma always made these yummy cookies and they are so easy to make!! They are No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies and of course I ALWAYS use Hershey Cocoa to make them ;o)

Heat the butter, cocoa, milk, sugar, vanilla and peanut butter in a large pan until it comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook at a full boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and stir in the oats. Spoon out onto wax paper and enjoy! Store in a tightly sealed container.

My favorite holiday recipe from my mother's kitchen is definitely pumpkin bread! Mmhmm, delicious stuff. I can't remember the recipe, but if you really want it you can email me at kendallregan@yahoo.com and I'll get it for you when I'm home this Christmas!

I LOVE rolls! I guess it's not just a holiday thing... but that seems to be the only time I make them!!!http://ohdeliciousness.blogspot.com/2009/11/potato-rolls.htmlAs far as cookies go, the classic sugar cookie is my favorite... I'm still working on getting it added to my recipe blog!lw4photos at gmail dot com

My favorite holiday sweet is Seven Layer Cookies. I think they go by a catchier name but that is what we call them. Layer in this order:buttergraham crackerssweetened condensed milkchocolate chipsbutterscotch chipschopped pecanscoconutBake

One of my favorite things to make each holiday season is Fantasy Fudge. It's a no fail recipe I got from the back of a jar of marshmallow creme years ago. I found it recently on the Kraft website. Here's a link to it:http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/fantasy-fudge-51833.aspx

We arent the best cooks ever around our house so I usually try to get the most simplest recipies possible so here is one for something called cereal candy it is so yummy and easy!!1 cup peanut butter 1 cup sugar1 cup corn syrup6 cups frosted flakes

In a pun put the sugar and corn syrup on med. heat bring just to a boil then remove add the peanut butter and stir until blended and the add the frosted flakes stir until all flakes are coated then place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper allow to cool for a while then just break into pieces and eat!!

I love making saltines bark. Its so yummy and easy to make! I like the combination of sweet and salty.

Saltine crackers3/4 c. butter3/4 c. sugar1 (12 oz.) pkg. chocolate chipsCrushed nuts (optional)Layer jelly roll pan with foil, then with saltines, touching each other. Cook butter and sugar on top of stove in saucepan until mixture is thick and boils, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, or until it turns a caramel color. Pour over crackers. Bake in 350 oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook. Cool slightly, then sprinkle with chocolate chips (not quite the full bag). When chocolate is shiny, spread out with dinner knife. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place in freezer for 1/2 hour. Remove from freezer and lift out foil. Break into bite size pieces.

What a great giveaway! One of my favorite Christmas cookies is called “Melting Moments”. It's a great recipe because you can bake the cookies right away or you could freeze the unbaked cookies and bake them later when you just need a little Christmas (even in July!) And it's easy enough for your little helpers to, well, help LOL!

Sift flour, powdered sugar and cornstarch together. Blend in butter until dough is formed. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring to the dough (separate the dough into chunks if you want more than one color). Shape into small balls and roll them in the sugar, nuts or coconut. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes. After baking, leave on sheet for about 1 minute, then transfer to paper towels. The cookies are very delicate, so handle carefully. Makes about 8 dozen.

If you’d like to freeze the dough for later, roll them into the balls and dip into the coating, then freeze on cookie sheets for several hours until firm, then pack them into containers or freezer bags. Then later, bake the frozen balls as directed (it usually takes just an extra minute or two than if baked fresh).

Our favorite holiday treat is large stick pretzels dipped in carmel and then covered in chocolate. To easy for a recipe, just melt everything and dip away- you can add sprinkles or nuts before the chocolate gets too hard. Way yummy and even I can do that one!!

Dipping chocolate: 4 tablespoons shortening or 1/8 bar paraffin wax (in baking aisle) 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips Preparation Line baking sheet with wax paper. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, and sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan and refrigerate.

Melt shortening or wax and chocolate in the top pot of a double boiler over simmering (not boiling) water. When chocolate mixture is smooth, remove balls from refrigerator. Insert wooden toothpick into each ball and dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down and remove toothpick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.

Wow--what awesome recipes (and adorable children!). I've been copy and paste-ing like crazy. Our favorite recipe is my Grandma's peanut brittle. The secret part to making it wonderful is not the recipe--you can use any standard recipe--but when you pour it out, then use a fork and pull it like taffy. That makes it thin and not sticky. This is on my list of things to make today!

I'm new to your blog, but I'll be back. Thanks!goin2games at yahoo.com

One of my favorite things to do is get nutella and those meltable chocolate baking wafers, melt them together in the microwave. I get chopped hazenuts and almonds, add them to the mix. Then dip (plain, make sure not garlic flavored!) italian breadsticks and dip them in. It's sort of like homemade pocky!I think I've commented about this before but I love Ro and Ree's aprons!

Oh my gosh, these photos made me laugh and smile. Your girls are so cute!!! Lol, loved the pics! It's not really a "holiday" cookie, but we like to make Monster Cookies, which is basically cookies just loaded with the works ;) (Don't worry mom,it sounds messy, but it's a recipe that can all be made in *one* bowl! yay!)

A link to the recipe:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Monster-Cookies-VI/Detail.aspx

We make Buckeyes every year, and it's a huge family event. We take peanut butter and powdered sugar, roll it into balls, then dip them in melted chocolate. Chill in the fridge for a few hours and you will be amazed at the deliciosity. Yes...'deliciosity'. :)

Ok, I feel stupid with this simple recipe, but it's a sure crowd-pleaser, easy to make for kitchen idiots like myself, & kid-friendly for the adorable Ro & Ree. Oh and it panders to the folks @ Hershey's as it requires their product, even though it's a real pain in the patootie to unwrap all of those candies!

So you get some of those round pretzels, then you stick a Hershey kiss in the middle and put them in the oven on low heat just until the chocolate melts. (It works best to lay the pretzels out on cookie sheets on top of wax paper). Take them out of the oven, press an M&M (I know-a competitor's candy!) in the center of each one (red & green for Christmas!) and put them in the fridge for at least an hour to set. The quantity of pretzels you need kinda depends on how many Kisses survive until baking time. A bit similar to one of the recipes you tried, but I'll take an M&M over sprinkles any day! Enjoy & happy holidays!

Our family holiday tradition turned spicy once we returned home from China with our spice loving daughter. My husband loves peanut brittle for the holidays and so I threw in some ground chili power in a batch and it was a hit!

Hey M3, While I know that this giveaway is only open to residents of the US of A, I just have to share this, despite my Canuck status! My own Jiangxi Girl loves it - I am sure your girls will too! Izzy is a bit younger than your girls, but even last Christmas when she was 2 1/2 she thought these were fab:o) I will try and explain the best I can as the only pic I have is from a magazine:o( For those of you who like minimal prep or baking these are a MUST for the holidays - no baking required!! Fun for all ages;o)

Here is what you do:- unwrap the caramels (put them in the freezer for a few minutes, it helps the wrappers come off) - melt them in a pot or microwave...careful not too high a heat - medium low should do it

-set out the chopped up bars or nuts or coconut onto plates

-take a marshmallow and cut it in half - smoosh it onto the top of another marshmallow - this is the body of your snowman:o)

-dip the bottom of the snowman into the caramel - swirl it around to cover the bottom and up the sides a bit. Then, roll this in your topping of choice (chocolate, nuts etc)

-set the little guy on a piece of wax paper - give him pretzel stick arms, and use the caramel to stick his eyes (m&ms, choc chips)on.

- Believe it or not, this is it! But your little ones may have more decorating to do - buttons, scarves made of licorice etc., the possibilities are endless:o) Mostly it is just a fun activity with the kiddos that they will be proud to share...and devour! Merry Christmas to you and yours!Christine PKamloops BC Canada

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans. 3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

In a large bowl, mix together the cookie dough, pecans, mango and pineapple.

Place the coconut in a large, wide bowl. Drop the dough, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, into the coconut, turning each ball until well coated. Place the cookies 11/2 inches apart on a large, ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Let the cookies stand for several minutes to firm up before transferring them to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and enough of the reserved pineapple juice (about 1 tablespoon) to make a thick glaze. With a fork, drizzle lines of the glaze across the cookies. Let them stand until the icing has set, about 15 minutes.

This is hilarious, because I JUST got threw making my rolo/pretzel concotion. Same idea with your kisses but with rolo's instead!! I have SO many sweet yummies I make but the one MUST have is Jena's Chocolate cake (hershey's cocolate chips included in the icing) It's oh so good!!

Mix sifted sugar into potatoes a little at a time by hand. (Don't panic when potatoes liquify as the first sugar is added. This is what it's supposed to do. Just keep adding sugar until it is pastry consistency.) Sprinkle wax paper with additional powdered sugar. Take baseball-sized ball of mixture and roll out like pastry. Spread with peanut butter and roll like a jelly roll. Wrap rolls in plastic wrap; chill and slice.

I love your site and all the cool crafty things you do with your girls. I bought the ingredients for the pretzel cookies but have yet to find time to make them. Time is running out for Christmas. One of my favorite Christmas recipes was the Christmas Wreath Cornflake cookies I use to make as a child.

My absolute favorite holiday cookie is by far the peanut butter cookies with the hersey kiss on top. FYI...when you eat them hot out of the oven....well let's just say it does not get much better than that!

My favorite holiday recipe is chocolate-covered peanut butter balls. I already saw a few variations on it in the comments, so I won't list the recipe. Instead, I'll give you a warning... they are extremely messy to make. (My husband loves to eat them, but groans when I mention I'm making them because he knows the kitchen will be covered with drips of chocolate by the time I'm done).

Make a peanut butter sandwich using 2 Ritz crackers. Dip in either melted choc of some form (white, dark, milk or almond bark). You can sprinkle with various decorations. Let dry. The hardest part: not eat them all in one day.

My favorite holiday recipe is melting white chocolate into pastry bags and dying it different colors then pouring and decorating them into molds. This year I made green Christmas trees with red ornaments and a red star on top, Red Santa with green gloves, white beard, white trim on his suit and a black belt, and white snowmen with green ear muffs, scarves and mittens.

I look forward to trying the pretzel twist recipe, it looks simple and so delicious. I am a sucker for chocolate covered pretzels, and adding sprinkles; how creative and festive!

We do a variation on the pretzel thing. You put pretzels on a cookie sheet and top with Rolo. Then you bake at 325 for about 5 mins. You want the rolos gooey, but not melted. While they are still gooey you push either a walnut half or an M&M into the rolo. Cool and eat. YUMMMM.

We like to take Pretzel Rods and dip them in chocolate and white chocolate and then put sprinkles on them. Next you put them in the fridge and let the chocolate harden. These make cute gifts in little Christmas baggies tied with a pretty bow.